(11 Oct 2015, 10:56 am)Michael wrote [ -> ]Oh well!, it was worth posting just incase! 
Honestly thought the AD122 MPD's were de-branded a while ago.
I updated them on the fleet lists as being de-branded in line with the withdrawal of the AD122 service - in reality, they're still going around in AD122 branding... Not ideal!
https://flic.kr/p/yCGbiM
https://flic.kr/p/zgAYD7
(11 Oct 2015, 10:59 am)Dan wrote [ -> ]I updated them on the fleet lists as being de-branded in line with the withdrawal of the AD122 service - in reality, they're still going around in AD122 branding... Not ideal!
https://flic.kr/p/yCGbiM
https://flic.kr/p/zgAYD7
That's probables why then... getting ahead of yourself!
Are the allocations out yet? Just I have a question regarding the 08:02 #16 out of Stanley for Durham (07:01 from Castleside which i think pretty much answers my question):
Will the above journey be allocated a decker like the 44 equivalent (although it runs between Stanley and Durham only) with it being the service that most college students will use? The main reason i ask is with it coming to the stop I board my bus at, St Stephens Church at 08:07, it may cause a bit of confusion as my bus comes at 08:09 (ie we could think that the 16 is our bus and unintentionally stop it).
(12 Oct 2015, 8:28 pm)S813 FVK wrote [ -> ]Are the allocations out yet? Just I have a question regarding the 08:02 #16 out of Stanley for Durham (07:01 from Castleside which i think pretty much answers my question):
Will the above journey be allocated a decker like the 44 equivalent (although it runs between Stanley and Durham only) with it being the service that most college students will use? The main reason i ask is with it coming to the stop I board my bus at, St Stephens Church at 08:07, it may cause a bit of confusion as my bus comes at 08:09 (ie we could think that the 16 is our bus and unintentionally stop it).
I think it will be a Citaro
(12 Oct 2015, 8:45 pm)citaro5284 wrote [ -> ]I think it will be a Citaro
Thats good. With it starting at Castleside, i thought it may have been a Citaro. Just means
less confusion when we see another GNE bus coming down the bank.
I understand that new service 30 will be operated by Venture Solos. I was just wondering if the 8:35 service from Lanchester will be a decker. According to the timetable the 8:05 Stanley to Lanchester 30 operates via St Bedes, very similar to what the X31 does now, I'm assuming it will be a decker for the students, meaning the return journey up to Stanley will be the same vehicle?
(12 Oct 2015, 9:16 pm)Arcticrossy92 wrote [ -> ]I understand that new service 30 will be operated by Venture Solos. I was just wondering if the 8:35 service from Lanchester will be a decker. According to the timetable the 8:05 Stanley to Lanchester 30 operates via St Bedes, very similar to what the X31 does now, I'm assuming it will be a decker for the students, meaning the return journey up to Stanley will be the same vehicle?
Most of the day time runs will be operated by "Venture" branded Solo SRs, and the 08:05am run is one which will be allocated a Solo. New scholars service 831 is designed to replace the student link from Stanley to Lanchester, but there will be a few peak-time journeys on service 30 will operate through journeys to Newcastle as services X30/X31 (which exist primarily for commuters). These journeys are as follows:
AM
- The 06:10am #30 service from Lanchester to Stanley (arr 06:37) will form the 06:41am #X31 service from Stanley to Newcastle, and should be allocated a "Northern" branded Scania N94UD, as it later works services 6 and X70/X71.
- The 07:10am #30 service from Lanchester to Stanley (arr 07:37) will form the 07:43am #X31 service from Stanley to Newcastle, and should be allocated a "Toon Link" branded Scania OmniCity, remaining on services X30/X31 for the rest of the day.
- The 07:13am #30 service from Quaking Houses to Stanley (arr 07:22) will form the 07:28am #X30 service from Stanley to Newcastle, and should be allocated a "Toon Link" branded Scania OmniCity, remaining on services X30/X31 for the rest of the day.
PM
- The 16:30 #X30 service from Newcastle to Stanley (arr 17:11) will form the 17:17 #30 service from Stanley to Lanchester, and return, and should be allocated a "Toon Link" branded Scania OmniCity.
- The 17:35 #X30 service from Newcastle to Stanley (arr 18:13) will form the 18:18 #30 service from Stanley to Lanchester, and return, and should be allocated a "Toon Link" branded Scania OmniCity.
It's a pity that these through workings to and from Lanchester aren't advertised in the timetable.
The afternoon 30 calling at the school doesnt get there until 15:45 which is 35 minutes after the school day ends and around 20 minutes after all other buses depart. That bus will be used by the after school detention lot so wont need to be allocated anything bigger than a solo.
(13 Oct 2015, 8:45 am)Greg in Weardale wrote [ -> ]It's a pity that these through workings to and from Lanchester aren't advertised in the timetable.
With hindsight, my previous post was probably poorly worded...
If I remember rightly, Go North East stated in the consultation that they would look to provide 'guaranteed connections' at Stanley at peak times. Strictly speaking, they're not 'through journeys', so perhaps not the best idea to advertise them as such..?
On an evening, Stagecoach in Sunderland services 3 (possibly 13) and 20 interwork, with journeys split in Sunderland City Centre. I regularly made use of that 'guaranteed connection' by staying on the bus a few years ago (and I know a few others did once they realised they could do that). I suspect it'll be a similar story with these peak-time journeys on services 30 and X30/X31, and it'll be the same faces making use of these connections every day once they realise it's possible to do.
But in the real world you would advertise them as through buses if they are working through. Connections, whether guaranteed or not, are very off-putting for passengers. The splitting of the service from Lanchester to Newcastle was the worst thing about these recent changes and quite illogical. Keeping the through workings would not have involved any extra vehicles.
(13 Oct 2015, 4:49 pm)Greg in Weardale wrote [ -> ]But in the real world you would advertise them as through buses if they are working through. Connections, whether guaranteed or not, are very off-putting for passengers. The splitting of the service from Lanchester to Newcastle was the worst thing about these recent changes and quite illogical. Keeping the through workings would not have involved any extra vehicles.
Stagecoach don't advertise these 'through journeys'. I appreciate the situation with Go North East is slightly different because they're offering a 'guaranteed connection' at peak times in place of what was once a direct service, but I'm not sure I see the logic in advertising all the through connections on offer. There will be a "Toon Link" branded OmniCity working the new "Durham Diamond" 16/16A service on an evening for a couple of journeys if I remember rightly - should these 'through journeys' be promoted, too?
A connection which isn't guaranteed may be off-putting, but by definition a 'guaranteed connection' is one which is promised with certainty. How is this off-putting?
It would have involved extra "Toon Link" branded vehicles being needed and would have freed up two Solos, but that's besides the point... Go North East's intentions have been clear from the outset with these changes: to provide faster, more reliable bus services. As the majority of customers travel between Newcastle/Gateshead and Stanley or Lanchester and Stanley, it doesn't make sense to continue running an unreliable bus service, if it can be avoided by splitting in the middle which won't affect the majority of customers.
No spouting gobbledygook like GNE do in their surveys can change the fact that a through service is better for the passengers than having to change and they are less likely to use the bus if they have to. Not having the bus running through to Lanchester does not make the overall journey quicker or more reliable, just less convenient for the customer. The reason for splitting it was only for the convenience of the operator, no doubt to save money; for example, a Solo uses less fuel than an Omnicity. But if a bus is regularly working through then it is daft not to show this in the timetable.
(13 Oct 2015, 6:01 pm)Greg in Weardale wrote [ -> ]No spouting gobbledygook like GNE do in their surveys can change the fact that a through service is better for the passengers than having to change and they are less likely to use the bus if they have to. Not having the bus running through to Lanchester does not make the overall journey quicker or more reliable, just less convenient for the customer. The reason for splitting it was only for the convenience of the operator, no doubt to save money; for example, a Solo uses less fuel than an Omnicity. But if a bus is regularly working through then it is daft not to show this in the timetable.
Dan is right, the majority of passengers who use the X30/X31 travel between newcastle/Gateshead and Stanley, the changes will only affect a small handfull of folk, the majority of folk will no doubt be happier at having an increased frequency over this part of the route and those travelling onwards to lanchester dont have to much of a wait for onward connections.
(13 Oct 2015, 6:01 pm)Greg in Weardale wrote [ -> ]No spouting gobbledygook like GNE do in their surveys can change the fact that a through service is better for the passengers than having to change and they are less likely to use the bus if they have to. Not having the bus running through to Lanchester does not make the overall journey quicker or more reliable, just less convenient for the customer. The reason for splitting it was only for the convenience of the operator, no doubt to save money; for example, a Solo uses less fuel than an Omnicity. But if a bus is regularly working through then it is daft not to show this in the timetable.
I know it has been suggested that consultations can be worded in such a way, that can be misleading (Adrian often used the M1/Herrington Burn changes as an example).
But to go to your other point about the through services, I totally agree.
I can't see any logic or reasoning, in not promoting it as a through service.
It certainly isn't going to cost anything, the effort in promoting the through service will be minimal and will clear up any potential confusion passengers may have.
Imagine someone on a return journey in the depths of Christmas shopping, having to bundle the kids together, get the bags - climb off and get their bearings in the station to then realise they are getting onto the very bus they have struggled to get off.
Heck, it may even encourage people to use the service, particularly if they have been put off by the changes and the removal of the direct route.
(13 Oct 2015, 7:44 pm)nk55 wrote [ -> ]Dan is right, the majority of passengers who use the X30/X31 travel between newcastle/Gateshead and Stanley, the changes will only affect a small handfull of folk, the majority of folk will no doubt be happier at having an increased frequency over this part of the route and those travelling onwards to lanchester dont have to much of a wait for onward connections.
I use the service straight from Lanchester to Newcastle every morning, and at different times of the day on my days off, not many people stay on towards Lanchester from Stanley, splitting the service, as much as it may seem a little inconvenient for people like me, I believe can only be a better thing! Actually the X31 was 20minutes late this morning resulting it being regulated at Newcastle.
After the changes kick in I get into Newcastle 10minutes later than I usually do, which still gives me a good 10minutes to get to work.
Currently the last bus to Lanchester on X30/X31 leaves Eldon Square at 18:20. When the changes come in I can get back to Lanchester after work at a much later time using service 30, currently I have to get the 21 to Durham and then switch to the 15, as these are the only services (to my knowledge) that kind of interwork in the evening to get me back there, Or its a trip to either Stanley or Consett and a lift back to Lanchester!
So for me personally, I'm looking forward to having a better service.
The only people around Lanchester that won't benefit from this are the people who get on in the morning with me, theres usually about 5-6 who pay to get to Greencroft Industrial estate. Will these people have to get the 30 up to Stanley then switch on to one of the Coast & Country services that goes near by?
I do think the lack of a bus service to Greencroft Industrial Estate will affect some people. Don't agree with Hobson losing buses to Burnopfield though.
(13 Oct 2015, 8:22 pm)S813 FVK wrote [ -> ]I do think the lack of a bus service to Greencroft Industrial Estate will affect some people. Don't agree with Hobson losing buses to Burnopfield though.
I have never been, how big is Hobson in terms of houses, businesses etc?
(13 Oct 2015, 8:24 pm)citaro5284 wrote [ -> ]I have never been, how big is Hobson in terms of houses, businesses etc?
Go North East stated on its Facebook page that another service would stop about five minutes away from the stops in Hobson at the moment and they chose to remove buses from Hobson owing to low passenger numbers getting on/off in this area.
Glad to hear that Arcticrossy92, who lives in the area and actually uses the affected services on a regular basis, is looking forward to the changes coming into fruition, and thinks they are indeed improvements.
(13 Oct 2015, 8:33 pm)Dan wrote [ -> ]Go North East stated on its Facebook page that another service would stop about five minutes away from the stops in Hobson at the moment and they chose to remove buses from Hobson owing to low passenger numbers getting on/off in this area.
But going through Hobson also creates faster journey times as its literally a straight road from Pickering Nook to Crookgate missing out Burnopfield. Perfect for the 6 or something like that. Burnopfield already has 3 buses to Newcastle (6, X70 and X71) and 2 buses to Metrocentre (6 and V7). A bit over-bussed in my opinion.